E-C-O-N-O-M-Y. Its becoming a 4-letter word these days. I know you may be thinking that this can't possibly be a good time to explore the possibility of business ownership. Most people believe that having a job is the most secure, stable career option for them. I'm sure employees at big financial institutions like Lehman Brothers thought that too until their company closed overnight. So in a market of uncertainty, who can you count on if not yourself? If you have an interest in business ownership, don't you owe it to yourself to at least understand what the alternatives are?
Our entrepreneur this month did just that. He was tired of letting a corporation set his path and he decided it was time to take a look at his goals and control his own future.
Congratulations Jeff, and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!
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Jeff Nay had been in high-tech sales selling to the corporate and government markets for 10 years, and in corporate jobs for a total of 14 years. He was tired of corporate life where he felt like he had little control over his financial and career future. He was ready for a new challenge and had started researching business ownership and franchising on the internet. Jay was a perfect coaching candidate for The Entrepreneur's Source discovery process.
Jeff wanted to do something where he reaped more of the rewards for himself. He wanted to do something that energized him. He also wanted to feel like he was making his way on his own terms. He enjoyed the sale process and thought that was a great fit for him because he loved interacting with new people and then being able to have ongoing conversations with them while providing a valuable service. But he was tired of selling for someone else, tired of watching the games that companies play with quotas and objectives, tired seeing his skills being consistently undervalued, and tired of enriching a faceless corporate entity instead of banking more of the rewards personally. It was time for Jeff to do something for himself, and to take charge of his own destiny.
As Jeff began his discovery, he found two businesses that attracted him for very different reasons. When we compared the two businesses to his goals, here's what we found: The first one he thought would ramp up more quickly and provide more immediate cash flow but he couldn't see himself in it for the long haul. The second one supported his long term goals better, but he was concerned about the short term. After asking Jeff which was more important to him, he responded that a business that would take him to his long term objectives made more sense. As a result, Jeff selected Sandler Training. Here's what Jeff had to say about our process: "Overwhelmingly positive, mind-expanding experience. It helped me define my personal goals for the first time - something that is neither encouraged nor valued by most employers."
Sandler Training offers a distinctive style of training that covers not only sales and revenue development, but also human relations skills, and leadership development. This business allows Jeff to use the sales expertise he had developed, interact with people every day, have flexibility in his schedule and build a robust business. Here's what Jeff has to say about business ownership today: "This has been the hardest thing I've ever done, hands down. But I am happier now than I've ever been, I'm firmly in control of my own life, and I can see true financial independence down the road. That would never have happened at my corporate job because my employment there was always at the whim of somebody else."
Jeff owns and operates the Sandler Training office in the Northern Virginia/DC Metro area. He works primarily with business owners, company presidents & CEOs, entrepreneurs, and sales and sales management professionals. Jeff can be reached at 703.677.3150, via email at jeffnay@sandler.com, or online at www.nay.sandler.com.
Sandler Training, formerly known as Sandler Sales Institute, is the leading provider of sales and management training with 225 licensed trainers throughout the U.S. and internationally. The company provides a full range of sales and management training programs, with powerful coordination and customization benefits throughout its extensive franchise network. Among its many achievements, Entrepreneur Magazine has awarded Sandler Training its #1 ranking for Training Programs 8 times since 1994.
So is now a good time or a bad time to start a business? There is no perfect time, but I believe that now is actually a pretty good time. Interest rates are very low, landlords are negotiating rents, and there is ample supply of quality workers. Jeff took the leap from employment to empowerment and now he's in charge of his future.
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